Outstanding figure skating college student to volunteer as ice patcher at Beijing 2022 Winter Games

Yang Xi patches the small holes in the ice surface during skaters’ training before the 2021 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Beijing, Oct. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Fan Kang)

Yang Xi, a 21-year-old junior student majoring in Athletic Training at China Ice Sports College, Beijing Sport University (BSU), is volunteering as an ice patcher for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

An ice patcher’s job is almost like that of a beautician for the ice surface, according to Yang, who said he will be working with ice resurfacing vehicles to clean and repair ice surfaces quickly.

Winning honor for China at the Winter Olympics has been Yang’s dream since he was little. The young man took up figure skating at the age of 10, and has won sixth place in the Chinese National Figure Skating Championships.

Yang watched the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics on TV, and was deeply impressed by the volunteers at the event. When he saw the notice for the recruitment of volunteers for Beijing 2022, he signed up immediately, hoping to play some role in the grand occasion.

Volunteers must meet extremely high requirements to become ice patchers for the Winter Olympics. As the only volunteers allowed to move on the ice in skates like athletes, ice patchers need to find the small holes skaters leave when they jump and repair them within five to 10 minutes after an individual competition.

“As a professional figure skater, I’m familiar with athletes’ jump trajectories and trails on the ice, which enables me to quickly locate the small holes in the ice surface and fix them in time,” Yang said.

In October this year, Yang volunteered as an ice patcher in the 2021 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Beijing, one of the test events for the Beijing 2022.

Zhang Hao, Yang’s teacher at BSU, who was a silver medalist in pair skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, offered a great deal of guidance on the skills Yang needed before the test event.

In November, Yang was informed by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games that he had officially been accepted as an ice patcher for Beijing 2022.

As the Beijing 2022 Winter Games approach, Yang is making active efforts to improve his skills at various training activities organized by his university for volunteers for the Beijing 2022.

“As long as I’m in the Winter Olympics, whether as a player or a volunteer, I’m doing my part for our country,” Yang said.